Roll film cutting camera



em 27, 949 swENsoN 2,492,900

` ROLL FILM CUTTING CAMERA Filed ooi. 9, 1945 Patented Dec. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLL FILM CUTTING CAMERA Charles Swenson, New York, N. Y. Application October 9, 1945, Serial No. 621,219

camera for continued and otherwise uninter` rupted Iperformance; another object is to provide means whereby rotation of the take-up spool `and the :winding of the film thereon under an even tension is accomplished by ldirect manipulation of the lm advance sprocket, thereby lessening the stress on the film and making it possible to use a thinner :and less expensive iilm, land in cooperation with the nlm cutting device in the present invention, to load the camera with 'a much increased supply `of film; a rfurther object is to provide a take-up spool container, in which exposed film may be readily 4removed from the camera and preserved in daylight outside the camera; a still further object is the provision [of a device of this character, which is simple to construct, compact and yet easy [and reliable in operation. Further objects and :advantages of -my invention will appear as the specication proceeds.

I attain these objects by the -mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a sectional view of a camera embodying my invention and shows an exposed part .of the film wound up en the take-up spool; Fig. 2 is a section perpendicular to that of Fig. l showing the l-m cut and the take-up spool container ready to be withdrawn from the camera; Fig. 3 is a section through the line 3-3 on Fig. 2 Viewed in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a 'partly cut away end View in the opposite direction as that of Fig. 1 of the upper part of the camera; Fig. 5 is an end view in the same direction Ias that yof Fig. 1 partly cut away to illustrate how the rotating take-up spool receives the advancing lm; Fig. 6 is a perspective view o-f the film cutting knife removed from the camera; Fig. 7 is a perspective view `of the takeup :spool container youtside the camera; Fig. 8 shows a modification in a horizontal section taken directly above the sprocket, looking upward; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged section through the line 9--9 on Fig. 8, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The camera generally designated IIJ is formed substantially by a main front part I I with a lens 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-771) tube I2, a back cover I3, which is hinged lat I4 to the iront part yand locked at I5 by a clasp or the like (not shown), and two end walls I6, I1. A supply spool I8 containing the film I9 is rotatably mounted in the lowermost part yof the camera, the pressure spring 20 :providing :a suitable resistance to the unwinding of the film. As best shownvin Fig. 1 the iilm I9 passes from the supply spool I8 upward, behind and in contact with two rollers ZI rotatably mounted in the end walls It, i1, close to the lower and upper walls 22 of an exposure chamber, which is 'form-ed by a box like extension at the front part I I, and whose inner :surfaces indicate the 'limits 23 of the eX- posure area. The nlm then moves forward, passing under and in .front of ,a nlm transport sprocket 24, with teeth 25 engaging the marginal film :perfor-ations 26. A bearing is provided in the right end wall I1 for the sprocket, which passes through the left end wlall I6, where directly outside it has keyedv on a spur gear 21, a second bearing is provided in =a 'plate 28, outside of which on its extreme left end, a knurled film :advance knob 29 is attached as by means of :a Iset screw. A gear housing 3Q, of which the plate 28 is a part, is attached outside the left end ywall I6 of the camera by means `of screws such as 3I land has in its lower end an opening for :a push button 32, which is provided, inside the housing 3D, with a collar 33, on which Iacts, one end of a coi1 spring 34, the other end bein-g supported against la flat piece 35, situated within the housing 30; rfrom the centre of the button 32, inside the spring 34, extends a rod Cit-being suitably bentits extreme end 31 enters :a notch 38 in the inner surface of the hollow film advance knob 29, lpreventing rotation of the latter. On pressing and again letting go of the button 32 the sprocket 24 may be rotated one complete turn-which corresponds to a yone exposure advance of the film lil-until it automatically stops, when the latch 31 again enters the notch 38 urged by the spring 34.

lin mesh with the gear 21 is a spur gear 39 keyed on a shaft 40, which is rotatably mounted in the plate 28 and whose right end 4I is split along la diameter at 42 and thus adapted to form a friction clutch with a take-up spool, which =will be described later, by entering the hollow end thereof. The gears 21, 39 are in a proportion, so that the surface velocity transmitted to an empty take-up spool will be approximately equal to that of the film I9, and the necessary decrease in the angular velocity of the spool, relative to the shaft 43, with each turn of iilm accumulating on the spool, is provided for by slipping within the frictainer in one single ,lel to the aXis lon the tion clutch described, and the film will be wound up on the spool under an even tension, which may be regulated by 'bending in `or out the branches of the split end 4| of the shaft 40.

The uppermost part of the camera, contains a lining 43, metallic or made of other suitable material, the ends of which may be imbedded in the camera walls I8, I1 to better preserve its Iaccurate shape, which is circular in cross section and c-oncentric with the shaft 4U, a lower extension 44 is bent longitudinally down and about half way around the sprocket 24 to form a guide for the film I9 yand yan opening 45 for its passage Within the lining. The lining 43 is also partially cut away at the top at 46 to provide room for the movement of about 90 of a longitudinal ridge 41 -on the outer surface of a cylindrical lm cutting knife 48, which maybe made of thin steel or other suitable material, circular in cross section and fitting for rotation closely within the lining 43, so as to cover, when in a certain position, the iilm gate 45 in the latter in a light precluding manner. The knife 48 is shown separated from the camera in Fig. 6 having a relatively heavy end 49 with a 4central circular opening 58 Iand being open at the other end. The curved part I in the inner surface, Within the angle subtended by the ridge 41, is -provided with a longitudinal groove 52. The knife 48 is open for the passage of film at 53, and one side of the opening is fashioned into a cutting edge 54, which is pointed at the centre 55 and symmetrically curved toward the ends at 56 and designed on rotation to out the film I9 transversely in va straight line at 51 directly above the lm gate 45 in the lining 43. It may now .be pointed out, that the distance measured on the film I8, from the upper limit 23 of the exposure area to the line of cutting 51, is exactly equal to the length of one exposure area.

The uppermost part of the right end wall I1 is provided with a circular opening 58, centered by the shaft 48 and of a diameter equal to the inner surface `of the knife 48, for the insertion of a take-up spool container 59, which ts snugly within the knife and consists of an outer cylinder 60 and an inner cylinder 6I of thin material, fitting closely for rotation one outside the other, each with an opening 62, 63 for the passage of the film I9, said openings being aligned with the opening 53 in the knife 48, when the container is open in the camera, and rotated away from one another, to close the container to the entrance of light, before its removal. Each cylinder has a relatively heavy closed end land is yopen at the other end, the closed end S4 Iof the outer member 60 is aligned with the camera wall I1, Vwhen the container is in place in the camera and provided with a handle 65, whereby it may -be rotated, and that portion 66 -of the inner member 6I has two pins 61 entering corresponding holes 68 in the opposite camera wall I6 to hold it against rotation. The open end of the outer member 60 is bent at 69 toward the centre over the end portion 66 of the inner member 6I, or a fiat ring or flange maybe soldered on, so as to have the take-up spool conunit. A key 'I0 extends panalouter curved surface of the outer 'cylinder 60 to slidingly lit the groove 52 in the knife 48, `whereby the two parts 60, 48 will rotate together on manipulation of the handle 65. It may 4be pointed out, that the outer cylinder 6U is so adjusted within the knife 48, that closing of the container 59 begins immediately after the ,film cutting is completed. A key way 1I in the upper part of the opening 58 in the camera wall groove 52 in the knife 48, ywhen the container 59 is outside the camera for the insertion of the key lll, which also serves the purpose of locking the container in the camera. A take-up spool 12 is mounted for rotation centrally in the end portion 96 of the inner container member 5I by means of a collar 13 and a ratchet wheel 14, which are fixed on the spool closely on either side of said end portion 66 in a light precluding manner, as best shown in Fig. 2. 'Ihe fine toothed ratchet Wheel 14, being outside the end 66, is acted on by a pawl 15 and a leaf spring i6 mounted in said end portion to permit :rotation of the spool 12 in one direction only. The spool is provided with teeth 11 to engage the marginal :lilm perforations 26, and said teeth are bent somewhat in the direction of the rotation to lbetter catch and hold the advancing lm, as shown in Fig. 5. The right spool end 18 is entered 'by and adapted to rotate about a pin 19, `which is projecting inward from the centre of the right end 54 of the container 59, and the left Aen-d 88 of the spool 'd2 is hollowed or otherwise provided with :a tube to enclose the split end 4I of the shaft 48 and `form a friction clutch therewith as previously mentioned. The take-up spool container 59 is provided with alignable arrow marks BI to aid in its proper Closing, Ibefore it is placed in the camera.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 I provide a roller 82 rotatably mounted directly below the lm gate 45 in the free end of a light `leaf spring 83, the other end of which is fastened at `84 to the central lower part of the lining 43. The roller 82 traces the central back of the film I9 and is normally pushed back and down into a peripheral groove 85 provided therefor in the sprocket 24. When the film is cut, the roller 82, urged by the spring 83, pushes the centre of the free cut off end 86 of the film I 9 forward, toward the film guide 44, the upper central part 81 of which is given a transverse curvature, so as not to touch the film coating, while the edges 88 thereof maintain gliding contact with the film edges. The purpose of the lmodification is to curve the lm end 86 slightly transversely, thereby increasing its stability, as it passes upward from the film gate 45 to the take-up spool 12 unsupported.

In loading the camera it is best to cut the film end perpendicularly, so that opposite marginal perforations will be engaged at once by the lower sprocket teeth, and making sure that the film moves straight; thereafter the camera may be closed and need not be opened except for reloading.

in the film cutting operation the handle 65 is turned about 99 until it stops, thereby cutting the film and closing camera and takeup spool container, which may now be removed, as the key 18 has moved into alignment with the key way 1i in the camera Wall Il. Emptied of film and closed properly by aligning the arrow marks 8l, the container is replaced in the camera, which is again ready for operation, as soon as the handle is turned back, and film may again be cut and removed after one or more turns of the film advance knob 29.

While I have shown only a preferred form of my invention, it should be understood, that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the inven tion.

I1 is aligned with the '1 claim:

1. A roll film camera using cinematographic film' strips, comprising a casing, a supply spool therein, a take up spool for the lm, a take up spool container consisting of two concentric cylinders, each provided with a film admission opening, means for moving said concentric cylinders relatively to each other adapted to align the openings in one position, While covering the opening of one cylinder completely by the Wall of the other cylinder in the second position, a movable cylindrical cutting knife, tightly encircling the outer cylinder and guided thereon, means for coupling the said outer cylinder with the cylindrical cutting knife, said means moving the knife automatically when the cylinders are moved relatively in order to align or cover the two cuts.

2. A roll iilm camera using cinematographic nlm' strips, comprising a casing, a supply spool for film therein, a take up Spool for the lm, a removable take up spool container consisting of two concentric cylinders in touch with each other, each provided with a film admission opening, means for moving the concentric cylinders angularly around their common axis, a cylindrical knife tightly surrounding the outer cylinder of the take up spool container, adapted to be moved angularly around the axis of the spool container, mounted within the camera, means to-couple said take up spool container with said knife when the container has been inserted into the camera, and a cylindrical lining fixed within the camera and tightly encircling and guiding the cylindrical knife, provided with a slot acting as a lm' gate.

3. A roll film camera using cinematographic nlm strips, comprising a casing, a supply spool for lm therein, a take up spool for the lm, a removable take up spool container, consisting of two concentric cylindrical members in contact with each other, each provided with a film admission opening, means for angularly displacing the cylinders relatively to each other, so as to align the openings in one position and to cover them by cylinder walls in the other position, thus closing the container, a cylindrical cutting mem'- ber tightly surrounding the outer cylindrical member of the take up spool container, angularly movable around the same, but ixedly mounted in an axial direction, means to couple the outer cylindrical member of the take up spool container with the cylindrical cutting member, a stationary cylindrical lining within said casing tightly surrounding said cutting member, a slot within said lining forming a film gate, a transport and guiding roller in front of said lm' gate, and means for coupling said transport and guiding roller with said take up spool.

4. In a roll lm camera using cinematographic iilm strips as claimed in claim 3, a transport and guiding roller provided with an axle projecting through the camera casing, a stub shaft axially aligned with the axis of the take up spool, gear Wheels connecting said stub shaft and said axle, a friction coupling between said stub shaft and the take up spool within the container and means for moving the take up spool and the transport and guide roller in complete unison.

5. A roll nlm camera using cinematographic lm strips, comprising a casing, a supply spool for film therein, a take up spool for the lm, a removable take up spool container, consisting of two concentric cylindrical members in contact with each other, each provided with a lm admission opening, means for angularly displacing the cylinders relatively to each other, so as to align the openings in one position and to cover them by cylinder walls in the other position, thus closing the container, a cylindrical cutting member tightly surrounding the outer cylindrical member of the take up spool container, angularly movable around the same, but ixedly mounted in an axial direction, and provided with an opening and a cutting edge, and further -provided with a groove, a ledge adapted to engage said groove arranged on the outer cylindrical members of the take up spool container, the engagement of said ledge and groove coupling the above mentioned members, a stationary cylindrical lining within said casing tightly surrounding said cutting means, and provided with a slot forming a film gate, a guide member radially projecting from said lining near said slot, the angular position of the cylindrical cutting member with respect to the outer member of the container and the lining being so chosen that the cutting member opening is aligned with the film gate and with the openings of the cylindrical members of the container in one position, while said cutting member is moved across the film gate upon closing of the take up spool container.

6. A roll lm camera using cinematographic nlm strips as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cylindrical lining carries a small supporting roller near the nlm gate, pressing upon the central portion of the ilm strip between the transport roller and the lm gate.

CHARLES SWENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,816 Grillone Aug. 8, 1922 1,680,647 Stark et al Aug. 14, 1928 1,707,980 Guerin Apr. 9, 1929 1,764,450 Hindle June 17, 1930 1,955,300 Kurnick Apr. 17, 1934 2,095,849 Wittel Oct. 12, 1937 2,225,433` Goldberg Dec. 17, 1940 2,298,574 Lockhart Oct. 13, 1942 

